Victor Gao: The End of Revolution

Victor Zhikai Gao currently practices private equity consulting and serves as a director of the China National Association of International Studies. He was a former employee of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and served as interpreter for senior Chinese officials. He published the following essay on CNN.com, says that events of 1989 changed development inside China. Stability is paramount importance to Chinese society:

When we look back at the past 20 years, we can conclude that China cannot afford another revolution, like those which happened in the former Soviet Union and its socialist camp, because a revolution will deprive China of political stability and, in its turn, will ruin almost all of China’s economic achievements during the past 30 years.

… In this regard, the extensive effort at promoting greater democratic participation in political activities at various levels in China, and the recent publication of the Report on Human Rights Development in China by the Chinese Government, are encouraging developments in the right direction. The rest of the world should be encouraged that China has great humility and eagerness to learn and innovate, and will keep promoting both economic reform and political reform. China should also spare no effort in fighting corruption of any form, because corruption of party officials, government officials, state-owned enterprise officials and their relatives and cronies may become the ultimate nemesis of political stability and the viability of the political system in China.

On the other hand, China as a nation should stand united and vigilant against any attempt to overthrow the government through a revolution, or to launch a revolution which may ultimately result in the overthrow of the government. This is because, unlike the United States, in China, the ruling party, the government, the political system, the regime, and China as a sovereign nation are all intricately inter-related with each other, and pulling away one block may cause the collapse of the whole order.

Whatever unhappiness, complaints, or grievances we may have, we need to resolve them on the basis of maintaining rather than undermining political stability. Whatever political pursuits, experiments and innovation we conduct, we cannot do so at the cost of political stability. United, our nation of 1.33 billion people will overcome difficulties and challenges and make great contribution to world peace and development. But divided, for whatever reasons, including seemingly harmless motivations, we as a nation will not only fail our own expectations, but may inflict great havoc to the rest of the world.